Murugan, also called Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influence, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Mauritius. In Sri Lanka Hindus as well as Buddhists revere a highly sacred Buddhist and Hindu shrine or temple Katharagama (also in Sinhala "Katharagama Devalaya") dedicated to him, situated deep south in the country. Chinese in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, of Malaysia also pray to Lord Murugan during Thaipusam. Lord Murugan is more popular in South India especially among Tamil people famously referred as " Tamil Kaduvul"(God of Tamils) compared to other parts of India. He is the God of war and the patron deity of the Tamil land. Like most Hindu deities, He is known by many other names, including Senthil, Saravaa, Karthikeya (meaning 'son of Krittika'), Arumugam or Sanmuga (meaning 'one with six faces'), Kumara (meaning 'child or son'), Guhan (meaning 'cave-dweller'), Skanda (meaning 'that which is spilled or oozed, namely seed' in Sanskrit), Subrahmaya, Vela and Swaminatha. and called as Kadamban in Melakadambur, means "who wearing Kadambu flowers in his shoulders"

Hark unto me: for I am He who has existed throughout all time. I was there from the beginning; it was my potency that charged the fertility of the Great Mother and created life from her empty womb.

Myself it is in the winds that sweep the worlds; myself it is in the flames that give warmth and light to all beings. I am he who provides: the Green Man of field and forest fruitful-ness; the lust of the bull that engenders life upon the cow; the strength of the boar that engenders life upon the sacred sow of Ceriddwen; the speed of the stag running free in the forest that no hunter can bring down save he who speaks the sacred words to call unto the spirit of the fleeing stag.

I am Lord of the Dance; he who swirls through the starry universe with the world at his heels. I am he who dances on mountain and plain and hearth, and he who captures all things in his dance.

And I am also Kernnun the Dark Hunter; he with visage as dark as void and armor bright with flame. My name is Lord of the Hunt; my prey those souls who needs must die and descend into the dark, chthonic depths of my bowel. For I bring life but death also; I am he at the gateway of the worlds, and to me shalt thou come in the end, thou who art my child and my prey.